James Duffy KC

Ranked in 6 Practice Areas

Band 2

Consumer Finance

All Circuits

3 Years Ranked

Band 4

Aviation

London (Bar)

11 Years Ranked

Band 4

Banking & Finance

London (Bar)

13 Years Ranked

Band 4

Fraud: Civil

London (Bar)

2 Years Ranked

Band 4

Group Litigation

All Circuits

3 Years Ranked

Band 6

Commercial Dispute Resolution

London (Bar)

9 Years Ranked

Ranked in Guides

Global 2026

About

Provided by James Duffy KC

UK Bar

Practice Areas

Commercial litigation and arbitration practice, including: banking and finance; aviation; civil fraud; insurance and reinsurance; and professional negligence.

Significant recent cases include: Ingenious Litigation (group litigation concerning mis-selling of film finance investments, and litigation funding); Littop v Ukraine (an Energy Charter Treaty international arbitration); Federal Deposit Insurance Corp v Lloyds Banking Group and others (LIBOR manipulation); Russian Aviation test case (major insurance disputes following the invasion of Ukraine); Decura v UBS (material adverse effect clauses); LNT v Airbus (contractual formation); Barclays v UniCredit (scope of contractual discretions); Choicezone v Simmons & Simmons (professional negligence); Marz v Bank of Scotland (interest rate swap mis-selling); Tchenguiz v Serious Fraud Office (misfeasance in public office, and privilege); SAMs Borrowers v Bank of Scotland (group litigation concerning mortgages); Bmibaby v Durham Tees Valley Airport (incorporation of terms in an aviation contract and damages).

Career

Called 2005. Silk 2024.

Professional Memberships

COMBAR; BASL.

Personal

Christ Church, Oxford (BA, First; BCL, Distinction)

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

UK Bar

Consumer Finance - All Circuits

Band 2

Individual Editorial

James Duffy KC is well regarded for his handling of financial mis-selling and Consumer Credit Act cases.

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Aviation - London (Bar)

Band 4

Individual Editorial

James Duffy is a regular in substantial commercial aviation disputes who acts for a client base composed of various industry bodies in sophisticated and high-profile cases in the regulatory and insurance spheres.

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Banking & Finance - London (Bar)

Band 4

Individual Editorial

James Duffy KC handles complex matters for a wide variety of major national investment banks. He has expertise in cases concerning LIBOR manipulation, swaps mis-selling and fraud disputes. Duffy has appeared in a number of the most significant cases of recent years in the banking and finance sector, and is noted for his handling of cases that are both high-profile and reputationally sensitive.

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Fraud: Civil - London (Bar)

Band 4

Individual Editorial

James Duffy KC has plentiful experience acting on multi-jurisdictional frauds arising from contexts including Libor manipulation and securities fraud. Prior to taking silk, he developed expertise handling interlocutory applications, including for freezing orders.

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Group Litigation - All Circuits

Band 4

Individual Editorial

James Duffy KC has a strong group litigation practice. He is regularly sought out to defend in large-scale group actions, often involving high-profile clients. He has a particular strength in matters involving banking and finance elements.

Learn more about this team❖View ranking table

Commercial Dispute Resolution - London (Bar)

Band 6

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Strengths

Provided by Chambers

A very experienced barrister who gives strategic input and keeps an eye on the bigger picture.

Consumer Finance respondent
UK Bar

During trial, we were impressed with his strategic thinking and his ideas for how to present our position in a simple but effective way.

Aviation respondent
UK Bar

James is an excellent lawyer with great technical expertise and sound commercial sense.

Aviation respondent
UK Bar

James is very approachable and gets all the detail very quickly. You can trust his views.

Aviation respondent
UK Bar

James is extremely responsive, thoughtful, practical and hands-on.

Banking & Finance respondent
UK Bar

James is an accomplished advocate. He is quick on his feet and able to deal with the unexpected.

Banking & Finance respondent
UK Bar

James is brilliant. He is very quick, very sensible, extremely clever and in court he is very effective, crisp and persuasive.

Banking & Finance respondent
UK Bar

He is very rigorous and constructs strong arguments.

Fraud: Civil respondent
UK Bar

He has brilliant strategic insight and is extremely user-friendly.

Fraud: Civil respondent
UK Bar

James is a very calm and relaxed advocate.

Fraud: Civil respondent
UK Bar

James is brilliant on his feet and in written advocacy. He's very creative with the way he puts arguments. He has a knack for constructing an interesting argument, when underlying points are dry.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

James is technically very good and on top of the law. He is good at managing cases and keeping in mind the client's underlying commercial objective.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

He is excellent. One of his best attributes is his ability to balance the detail and strategy. He takes a step back and makes incisive decisions, which can very much help with group litigation.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

He is my go-to silk and is fabulous. He is really clever, a real fighter and not afraid to argue points. His advocacy is very good.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

Understated, refreshingly down to earth and very bright.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

Extremely clever, highly persuasive and a pleasure to work with.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

Very clever and a fine team player, who builds a relationship with the solicitor. When on his feet, he's quick thinking, very confident and highly eloquent.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

A very experienced barrister who gives strategic input and keeps an eye on the bigger picture.

Consumer Finance respondent
UK Bar

During trial, we were impressed with his strategic thinking and his ideas for how to present our position in a simple but effective way.

Aviation respondent
UK Bar

James is an excellent lawyer with great technical expertise and sound commercial sense.

Aviation respondent
UK Bar

James is very approachable and gets all the detail very quickly. You can trust his views.

Aviation respondent
UK Bar

James is extremely responsive, thoughtful, practical and hands-on.

Banking & Finance respondent
UK Bar

James is an accomplished advocate. He is quick on his feet and able to deal with the unexpected.

Banking & Finance respondent
UK Bar

James is brilliant. He is very quick, very sensible, extremely clever and in court he is very effective, crisp and persuasive.

Banking & Finance respondent
UK Bar

He is very rigorous and constructs strong arguments.

Fraud: Civil respondent
UK Bar

He has brilliant strategic insight and is extremely user-friendly.

Fraud: Civil respondent
UK Bar

James is a very calm and relaxed advocate.

Fraud: Civil respondent
UK Bar

James is brilliant on his feet and in written advocacy. He's very creative with the way he puts arguments. He has a knack for constructing an interesting argument, when underlying points are dry.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

James is technically very good and on top of the law. He is good at managing cases and keeping in mind the client's underlying commercial objective.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

He is excellent. One of his best attributes is his ability to balance the detail and strategy. He takes a step back and makes incisive decisions, which can very much help with group litigation.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

He is my go-to silk and is fabulous. He is really clever, a real fighter and not afraid to argue points. His advocacy is very good.

Group Litigation respondent
UK Bar

Understated, refreshingly down to earth and very bright.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

Extremely clever, highly persuasive and a pleasure to work with.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

Very clever and a fine team player, who builds a relationship with the solicitor. When on his feet, he's quick thinking, very confident and highly eloquent.

Commercial Dispute Resolution respondent
UK Bar

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